Page | 1 Page | i BUILDING A FOUNDATION FOR HOPE Final Report of the New Jersey School Boards Association’s Task Force on Mental Health Services in the Public Schools www.njsba.org/building-a-foundation-for-hope © 2019 New Jersey School Boards Association 413 West State Street, Trenton, New Jersey 08618 All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the NJSBA. The New Jersey School Boards Association is a federation of the state’s local boards of education and includes the majority of New Jersey’s charter schools as associate members. NJSBA provides training, advocacy and support to advance public education and promote the achievement of all students through effective governance. TABLE OF CONTENTS Letter of Transmittal ............................................................................................................... i Task Force Charge and Membership ................................................................................... ii Executive Summary .................................................................................................................1 Documenting our students’ mental health crisis. Social-emotional learning: Paying attention to the whole child. Recommendations. Part One: The Need for Action .............................................................................................11 Sixteen percent of students have seriously considered suicide. Fifty percent of youth with a diagnosed mental illness did not receive treatment last year. What is social-emotional learning? Why act now? Part Two: How Some New Jersey Schools Are Responding ..............................................17 West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional Schools: One district’s continued efforts to implement social-emotional learning practices. Ocean City: Have a plan in place before something happens. High Bridge: Reaching students with a therapy dog, community activities, the national Wingman program, and more. Bloomfield: National award winner for program to address student isolation. Part Three: Getting Started ..................................................................................................33 Establishing a Community Resource Team. Developing a social-emotional learning strategic plan. Widespread training and professional development for all staff. Teambuilding for staff and students. Part Four: Programs, Strategies, Resources .......................................................................43 Ian Hockley’s Wingman program teaches students how to be leaders and care for others. Maurice J. Elias, director of the Rutgers Social-Emotional Learning Lab, explains social- emotional learning and character development. PerformCare: Free mental health services for students and families provided by the State of New Jersey. A listing of local and national experts who can provide guidance to boards of education. Appendix…………………………………………………………………………………….79 APPENDIX I: A sample social-emotional strategic plan. APPENDIX II: The 2017 New Jersey Youth Suicide Report. APPENDIX III: New law requires mental health to be part of curriculum. APPENDIX IV: Joint Resolution 17, declaring September “Suicide Prevention Month.” MEMORANDUM TO: Michael R. McClure, President Lawrence S. Feinsod, Ed.D., Executive Director FROM: Marsha Hershman, Chair SUBJECT: Final Report: Task Force on Mental Health Services in the Public Schools I am pleased to submit “Building a Foundation for Hope,” the Final Report of the New Jersey School Boards Association’s Task Force on Mental Health Services in the Public Schools. The document reflects more than seven months of study and discussion by our group, appointed in October 2018 by then-President Dan Sinclair. The task force included superintendents, therapists, psychiatrists, school student services coordinators and NJSBA staff. Task force members consulted with multiple experts, curriculum coordinators and school officials. Our report lists 71 recommendations for districts to consider. The task force believes districts would benefit if they: Invite experts to educate the board about how to cope with a student mental health crisis marked by increasing suicide rates and incidents of self-harm. Conduct a climate survey to learn about the level of suicide threat and substance abuse in the school, and take evidence-based action. Consult neighboring districts, learn from their efforts and seek ways to collaborate. Create a Community Response Team, because the mental health of students is not the sole responsibility of the schools. Municipal and county government, law enforcement, clergy, youth groups and other civic leaders must work together to help reach students. Long-term, the task force believes that social-emotional learning programs can help students deal with stress and learn from life’s challenges. Healthy children perform better academically. Teachers, administrators and students should work together to improve the climate in the school, considering ideas such as homework-free nights. Initiatives such as the Wingman program can help students learn how to trust and care for each other. Each student should have a trusted adult in school who can serve as a confidant. All teachers and staff should be trained to understand the important roles they play in creating a safe and emotionally healthy environment for learning. On behalf of the Task Force on Mental Health Services in the Public Schools, I want to extend our sincere thanks for the opportunity to work on a project that can save the lives of children and improve the mental health of the students and staff in our schools. It has been a privilege to be involved with this important work. Page | i Task Force on Mental Health Services in the Public Schools Charge The NJSBA Task Force on Mental Health Services in the Public Schools will study the impact of the effective delivery of mental health services and early intervention strategies on student health and wellness, school climate, and school security. The Task Force will consult with mental health practitioners and other experts. It will issue its final report, including recommendations for further action and information on best practices, by June 2019. Members Marsha Hershman, Chair Eve Robinson Lindenwold Board of Education Montclair Board of Education Camden County Essex County Bob Abbott David Sarnoff, Past Member Washington Twp. Board of Education Fort Lee Board of Education Gloucester County Bergen County Sheila Etienne Resource Persons Asbury Park Board of Education Monmouth County Dave Aderhold, Superintendent, West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School Peter Fallon District, Mercer County Watchung Hills Regional Board of Education Alisha De Lorenzo, founder and owner of Somerset County Living YES, LLC; former social-emotional learning coordinator, Asbury Park School Amy Hassa District, Monmouth County Hamilton Twp. Board of Education Sol Heckelman, member, Executive Board, Atlantic County N.J. Association of School Psychologists Irene LeFebvre Joseph Isola, Superintendent, Howell Boonton Town Board of Education Township Public Schools Morris County Monmouth County Charles Miller Sharon King-Dobson, Director of Student East Amwell Board of Education Services, East Rutherford School District Hunterdon County Bergen County Page | ii Paul Popadiuk, Principal, Montgomery NJSBA Staff High School, Somerset County Dr. Lawrence S. Feinsod, Executive Sonia Rodrigues-Marto, Program Director Director School and Community Based Programs Rutgers Health - University Behavioral Vincent DeLucia, Director of Training and Health Care Professional Development/ Educator-in-Residence George Scott, Statewide Coordinator for the Traumatic Loss Coalition Alan Guenther, Assistant Editor Leana D. Sykes, Director of Student Cindy Harrison, Executive Administrative Personnel Services, Lindenwold Public Assistant Schools, Camden County Mary Ann Friedman, Field Service Dr. Kathleen W. Taylor, Superintendent, Representative Ocean City Public Schools, Cape May County Taylor Salton, Member Service Representative Dr. Scott Taylor, Superintendent, Highland Park Schools, Middlesex County Kristen Krulikowski, Administrative/CSA Search Assistant Ex Officio Daniel Sinclair, President, New Jersey School Boards Association Page | iii Page | iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Like the relentless, rising waters of a flood, feelings of worry and depression are growing more common in students today. Our children are in emotional trouble, with anxiety reaching near- epidemic levels. As many as one in eight children – and 25% of teens – are contending with diagnosable anxiety disorders. Left unattended, these issues can lead to children harming themselves – or others. Suicide rates are increasing fastest among children from the ages of 10 to 17 in New Jersey and the nation. Shooting deaths and suicides on school and college campuses around the nation are increasing. In 2016, 11 died by gun violence on school grounds in the U.S., including four suicides. In 2017, 18 died by gun violence, including five suicides. By 2018, guns killed 61 people on school and college grounds, including seven suicides, according to Everytown for Gun Safety, a national nonprofit organization that tracks school shootings. Why is this happening? What is new about the world today that demands attention and action? What can concerned school board members do to protect the students they serve? To search for answers, then-NJSBA President Dan Sinclair and